The old song and dance: Actions matter, intentions less so

In 2015, Kelly Osbourne, daughter of Ozzy Osbourne, sat on the show "The View" discussing Donald Trump's policy on immigration.

She was joined by Whoopi Goldberg and Rosie Perez. 

What would transpire within minutes would also become an instant moment of internet infamy. 

Thinking she had come up with a witty retort on the immigration policy being mulled, she said, "If you kick every Latino out of this country then who is going to be cleaning your toilets, Donald Trump?" 

She was instantly corrected by Rosie Perez, with Kelly then adding, "No, I didn't mean it like that."

The earlier comment, however, sparked a firestorm of backlash, forcing Kelly Osbourne to admit to her "poor choice of words", and then adding, "but I will not apologise for being a racist as I am not." 

Kelly Osbourne might have harboured good intentions. She has also called the quote "the most cringe moment of my entire life." 

But, words and actions have power. Even if one may think they are well-intentioned, it may not always translate to be so. 

That's where the controversy at a puja mandap in Chattogram comes into play. 

It began when the Chattogram Cultural Academy was invited to perform at the Durga Puja Mandap of JM Sen Hall.

Islamic song at Ctg puja mandap draws criticism

The invitation was extended by Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad's Chattogram metropolitan unit's joint general secretary Sajal Dutta – who has since been permanently expelled.

After taking the stage, a six-member team from the Chattogram Cultural Academy, formed in 2015, performed two songs – "Age Ki Sundor Din Kataitam" by Baul Shah Abdul Karim and "Shudhu Musolmaner Lagi Aseniko Islam" by Chowdhury Abdul Halim. 

It was the second song that drew flak from both the gathered crowd and netizens who saw a video of the incident on social media. 

The now-normal exercise of labelling the video as fake began, but experts quickly proved the video's authenticity. 

In the end, two people were detained by police for questioning and the Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad removed its port city unit president and general secretary after the joint general secretary was expelled.

An examination of the offending song in question shows that on the surface it is a tribute to religious harmony. The song spoke about how Islam, as a religion, wasn't only for Muslims.

It also highlighted the need to protect people of other religions and ensure they faced no injustices.

On its own, it's a good song. But did the occasion call for it?

While the Chattogram Cultural Academy, too, might have had the best of intentions, they were clearly tone-deaf to the prevailing context. 

This was not the time to promote communal harmony in a way that would have seemed to be co-opting or hijacking someone else's festival. 

The scrutiny, at the current juncture, is intense.

The Buddhist community, just a few weeks ago, had to cancel their biggest festivals owing to rounds of violence in the Chattogram Hill Tracts. 

Hindus in Bangladesh have expressed fears borne out of a seeming rise in radical ideas. 

There's a time and place for everything, and this clearly was not it.

Meantime, in Muslim festivals, we generally do not see any words of encouragement inviting people from other religions to participate. 

Their songs and their culture aren't accommodated, at least not in a way we can point to and say, "Look, that's clearly visible."

We have even seen a major space in the capital being blocked off to deny access for setting up a Puja mandap because the same field is where Eid prayers are held. 

There's also the issue of power dynamics at play here. A majority asking for space in a minority-dominated sphere isn't usually met with a refusal, because of what might be the possible repercussions. 

In this instance, all the actors involved were in the wrong. 

More so, when there have already been better demonstrations of communal harmony. 

The Puran Bazar Jame Mosque and Kalibari Central Temple, located in the Kalibari area of Lalmonirhat, share a common courtyard and have become a symbol of interfaith understanding. 

Their continued tradition of peacefully existing side by side has been lauded.

Again, when the fall of the previous government stoked whispers of impending communal violence, volunteers from all backgrounds decided to protect their local temples.

Indeed, there are many instances of communal harmony in Bangladesh. On the other hand, there are also numerous examples of the lack of existence. 

Amid all this, we have a cacophony of disinformation and malinformation, with many behind the curtains trying to spin things in the direction that benefits them the most, the well-being of others be damned. 

What we choose to do is ultimately what will define us. Let's not choose ignorance.